1 week Ago
By the end of its 50-week theatrical run, the film had earned Rs 7.2 crore, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Published: April 27, 2025 4:54 PM IST By In today’s time where big-budget movies are generally hyped, imagine this film made on a shoestring budget of Rs 70 lakh creating cinematic history.
In its first week, the film struggled to find an audience. But the second week was pulling in crowds like a magician, one of the reason was superstar Amitabh Bachchan in a double role, delivering dialogues that became a worldwide craze. Released in 1978, this film etched its name as one of the greatest movies ever made in Indian cinema.
We are talking about none other than Initially, when Amitabh Bachchan’s action thriller released, masses didn’t show much interest. However, gradually, word-of-mouth spread like a spark, and people started lining up in large queens to watch the film. By the end of its 50 week-straight theatrical run, Don had earned Rs 7.
2 crore, which was considered an impressive amount at that time. If adjusted for inflation, this would be over Rs 250 crore in current scenario. Besides Amitabh Bachchan, the film also starred Zeenat Aman, Helen, Pran, Mac Mohan, Om Shivpuri, Iftekhar, and Yusuf Khan, Pinchoo Kapoor in pivotal roles.
Directed by Chandra Barot, the film’s dialogues were penned by the legendary duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. While Don’s terrific music was composed by Kalyanji–Anandji, the captivating lyrics were written by Anjaan and Indeevar. After Don became a blockbuster hit, Amitabh Bachchan became more than a star, he was a phenomenon.
His dual performance as both Don and Vijay, was packed with so much swag that fans till date imitate his slow-motion walk and cold-blooded smirk. Before Amitabh Bachchan, Don was reportedly offered to ace actors Dev Anand, Jeetendra, and Dharmendra, but all of them turned down the movie due to unknown reasons. Then, director Chandra Barot went to Big B, who the made the role historic.
To date, numerous remakes of Don have been made. It inspired several South Indian films including Rajinikanth’s . Moreover, Farhan Akhtar directed in 2006 and its sequel in 2011 featuring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead.
Both the action-thriller movies were successful at the box office. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on .
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